At the start of each year, our Editor sits down to work out the games that should be on everybody’s radar, but this time around, he is doing something different. This year, he is reducing his choices to three games for each genre. These might not be the most anticipated titles or the best releases, but they are games that have huge potential and a chance of doing something exciting or new within their genre. Welcome to “Games to Watch – 2026 Edition.” Now, the tough task of just picking three indies in a sea of excellence. Nevertheless, Matt is giving it a shot.
Games to Watch in 2026 - Indie
REPLACED
Replaced was announced a while ago and always showed huge potential. It has been shown off at various shows around the world, and each time, the press and playing public have come away super impressed. At its heart, it is a 2D action platformer, but it seems that under the hood, it is offering much more than that.
A stunning pixelart, cyberpunk setting, along with a deep story, Replaced looks like it is following in the footsteps of some classic indie releases, but at the same time, building its own path. I can’t wait to get my hands on this one when it is released on March 12.
Mixtape
Developed right here in Aus by the team behind The Artful Escape, Mixtape is looking to capture the feeling of the 90s with a big focus on music and tone. The thing is, I am not sure what the gameplay actually is at this point, but despite that, I am wholly invested in whatever it turns out to be.
That might be because of the killer soundtrack that is coming along with the game, featuring massive 90s bands such as The Smashing Pumpkins, The Cure and Joy Division. It is super impressive that an Indie team and Annapurna have managed to get such a cool mix of bands together for the soundtrack, something that games from big publishers like Tony Hawk still struggle to do. I am ready to live my 90s teenage years once again when Mixtape lands this year.
Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement
A sequel to one of the original Kickstarter darlings, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, The Scarlet Engagement is looking to take that classic Metroidvania fomula to the next level with a host of new additions, smoother gameplay and some exciting combat tweaks.
All this sounds great to me because, despite its obvious quality, I bounced off Ritual of the Night. There was something about the motion in that game that put me off. From the trailers, The Scarlet Engagement is already looking like that problem has been fixed. From the looks of things, the game may also include co-op, which is something that could be amazing. We will find out for sure when the game is released later this year.
